Bengal (cat)

Sepia ( Burmese Point) mink ( Tonkinese Point) snow or lynx ( Siamese Point)

• Not recognized by the CFA
• Standard of FIFé
• Standard TICA
• Standard WCF
• Standard of the GCCF
• Standard of WACC

The Bengal (English bengal or bengal cat, old German name also Leopardette ) is a breed cat that emerged ( Prionailurus bengalensis ), with a short-haired domestic cat from the crossing of a wild cat, the Asian leopard cat. Thus, the Bengal cat is one of the so-called hybrids.

Origin

The geneticist Jean Mill bred in 1963 (then it was still called Jean Sudgen ) a female Asian Leopard Cat ( Prionailurus bengalensis ) with a black house cat to join the spotted coat pattern and the lithe physique of the wildcat with the characteristics of the domestic cat. The second generation (F2 ) consisted of the backcross of a female of the first cross generation (F1 ) with the sire. This breeding project interrupted by the death of her husband. The breeding led Sugden until 1972 on, when she took over from Dr. Willard Center Wall, a geneticist at the University of California, eight female hybrids. While researching the disease feline leukemia ( FeLV) and Asian Leopard Cat crossed it ( Prionailurus bengalensis ) with domesticated shorthaired domestic cats.

Nature

Today Bengal is grown exclusively homozygous, that is, the animals may not be mated with each other. Of course, at the origin of the breed other breeds such as Egyptian Mau, Abyssinian, spotted Oriental Shorthair and American Shorthair were twins. Bengal are extremely playful and active into old age. They are very curious and quite able to retrieve items. Due to their intelligent beings and their activity, these cat species requires a lot of work, as it could tend to behavioral problems otherwise. It maintains very happy with their people, be it with almost intrusive cuddling and purring or vocally by cooing and meowing. In its way it reminds some of a little dog who follows his people through the whole apartment. Bengalis have a huge bounce and many love the water, both of which are a legacy of its wild relatives, the Asian leopard cat ( Prionailurus bengalensis ).

Fur drawings

Permitted colors are Black ( brown) tabbies, seal points (snow, sepia, mink ) and silver. By cross-breeding of different breeds in the early years of the Bengal recessive genes have been given, which come into play as follows: Blue ( blue); Melanistic (black Bengal, the drawing can only be seen in sunlight ); Charcoal ( pure black drawing on more gray background ); Long hair - there are efforts to obtain recognition of the long -haired version of the Cashmere Bengal Bengal. Some independent associations they have already been recognized as a new breed - Pardinos.

It is the responsibility of each breeder not recognized color and hair variants, these recessive genes - if known - specify, especially if an animal is to be sold in the breed so that the future owner can optionally adjust its breeding plan.

In the drawings ( tabby) there are only two basic patterns: marbled and spotted. Genetically speaking, is the marbled tabby known of the domestic cat (classic or blotched ). Marble is a recessive trait. The drawing should remember as little as possible in a domestic cat.

Spotted occurs in various forms, with monochromatic polka dots, which means actually spotted, or with two colored dots, which is then called rosetted. A striped pattern as the tabby ( mackerel ) domestic cat is at least undesirable if it does not lead to exhibitions in disqualification.